


Fan the Flames

by Agapostemon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning, POV Keith (Voltron), Pre-Canon, Trick or Treat: Trick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-10-08
Packaged: 2019-01-10 14:04:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Agapostemon/pseuds/Agapostemon
Summary: The Kerberos memorial service is today. In fifteen minutes. Keith is twenty minutes away by hooverbike and getting farther by the second, because they’re not dead. They can’t be dead.Pilot error.Shiro wouldn’t make an error like that.





	Fan the Flames

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eehn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eehn/gifts).



> Content Warnings: Self-destructive behavior/arguably self-harm, blood, cursing, unhappy ending

The Kerberos memorial service is today. In fifteen minutes. Keith is twenty minutes away by hooverbike and getting farther by the second, because they’re not dead. They can’t be dead.

 _Pilot error_.

Shiro wouldn’t make an error like that.

And even if he did – even if they _were_ dead (which they’re _not_ ) – they would never want to be remembered like this. All these nonsense formalities. Keith envisions their ghosts (their _imaginary_ ghosts, because they’re _not dead_ ) spectating as the Garrison remembers them. Shiro would at least pretend to appreciate all the official mumbo jumbo, and Doc Holt would probably play nice, but Matt? Matt would outright laugh at the stuffy, emotionless absurdity of it all.

This memorial isn’t about Shiro. Or Matt. Or Doc Holt. It’s about the Galaxy Garrison covering their own asses by pretending they care, and Keith refuses to have any part in it. So instead he’s speeding across the desert, hair whipping around his head and red dust blowing in his face, drying out his eyes. The relentless speed simultaneously fuels and soothes his anger, clearing his head and filling his chest with fire.

He doesn’t have a destination in mind, but he knows it’s time to stop when he reaches the rickety highway-attraction alien museum he visited once with Shiro and Matt. He brakes and hops off his bike, shoving his hands in his pockets and strolling up to the old building. It’s closed for the night. Or maybe for good – it’s hard to tell. The place doesn’t get a lot of traffic.

God, has it really been two years since the last time he was here?

It feels like it was yesterday, but it also feels like it never happened at all. He was so jealous of Matt back then. He remembers feeling like the whole museum visit was a competition to see who could impress Shiro with more alien facts. But thinking back, he’s pretty sure Matt’s intentions were to share time with them both, not steal Shiro away.

He _misses_ Matt. The realization sneaks up on him. It’s nothing like the instant pang of losing Shiro. He missed Shiro from the moment he left for Kerberos. But he didn’t expect to miss Matt.

He does, though.

He wishes Matt was here to miss Shiro with him. Wishes he was here so they could scoff about bullshit Garrison memorials and lose themselves in conspiracy theories together. They could throw firecrackers in a bonfire and scream at the sky and break into Iverson’s office to look for answers.

But Matt is just as gone as Shiro is, leaving Keith completely and utterly alone.

Again.

You’d think he’s be used to this by now, but apparently not. Without warning, the fire in his chest spills over like an erupting volcano and he swings a fist, his knuckles catching on the ragged brick wall in front of him. He restrains himself enough not to break his hand, but he still comes away bleeding. Bleeding enough that a steady patter of blood drips onto the dusty pavement below.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he hisses out loud, even though there’s no one there to hear him.

Because he’s alone.

Which is exactly the problem.

He gives the wall a kick for good measure and then storms back to his bike.

Whatever. He can blow shit up by himself. He doesn’t need help breaking into Iverson’s office. Doesn’t need company to scoff at bullshit memorials.

So what if Matt’s not here to miss Shiro with him?

He’ll miss Shiro enough for the both of them.


End file.
